More thoguhts on the trade and the fallout

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Several random thoughts... 

Josh, the quote you posted sums everything up perfectly. You're right. I
thought that was the clincher. It confirmed all the things many of us had
been saying for years.

David Aldridge... I like David Aldridge and think he may be the best NBA
reporter out there. That's why I'm still surprised he wrote something so
ridiculous about this trade. "The Celtics traded their second best player
for another team's fourth or fifth best player???" So, if today the Celtics
traded Raef Lafrentz for Antoine Walker, wouldn't they be trading their
second best player for another team's fourth or fifth best player? According
to Aldridge, would that also be a bad trade for the Celtics? Aldridge's
failure to put the players' worth in context is absurd. I have no problem
with him not liking the trade from the Celtics' perspective, but his
rationale is just silly.

It's interesting that Obie is starting Welsch out at the PG spot. That
probably will slow his transition, but help him as a player in the long run.
Are we a year away from a Banks, Welsch, Pierce, Lafrentz, Perkins starting
lineup? Maybe. Depends on development and what Ainge can do with the
expiring contracts.

One of the Chicago papers had a note today that said the Celtics tried to
trade Toine to the Bulls for Curry or Chandler. Not surprisingly, the Bulls
declined. There's a reason the offers for Antoine were along the lines of
Austin Croshere, folks. A lot of smart basketball people in the NBA wanted
no part of him unless they got him for virtually nothing. Maybe this trade
will be an eye-opener and Antoine will change everything about his game, but
even if that happens, it wouldn't have happened in Boston.

I really think we'll see a step backward this season. The point guards just
aren't ready and Vin Baker in the starting lineup is a disaster waiting to
happen (on that note, I'm just hoping he plays well for half a season and a
desperate team like the Knicks takes him off our hands for expiring
contracts or something). But a year from now, two years from now, I think
this team could really make a move. There are a few imperatives this season:


1.	Develop Banks. Obie can't get caught up in the grind and let this
kid waste a year. By the end of the season, the team absolutely MUST be
confident that Banks is the point guard next season and beyond.
2.	Restore Raef. He was marginalized in Dallas and probably lost some
confidence. The Celtics need to make him an important part of things,
restore his confidence and turn him into the player he was in Denver. If he
averages 15 and 8 in the East, he's an all-star and a valuable big man.
3.	Develop Jiri. Again, this guy can't get squeezed out in favor of
Eric Williams, Walter McCarty and Mike James. He has to be a valuable part
of the rotation, no later than next season.
4.	Develop Kendrick. This probably should be No. 1 on the list. No
other player on the roster possesses as much ability to single-handedly
change the fortunes of the team. An impact center makes you a contender. He
doesn't have to get playing time this season, but the practice time must be
productive. 
5.	Figure out the best use of the EWill-Mills contracts. This is a huge
decision. Does Ainge cash them in at the trading deadline for a player like
Shareef or some other high-salaried player a team is looking to dump? Or
does he let them expire and take his chances on a mid-level free agent?
He'll only get one shot, so he has to make the right call.

Finally, following Josh's lead, here's my preferred lineup this season, with
some explanations:

PG: Banks, James, Welsch (this could change with any of the three being the
starter... I went with Banks first because the best way to ease a rookie in
is by surrounding him with your best players)
SG: Pierce, Welsch, Kedrick (Pierce swings between SG and SF... Welsch gives
you shooting you don't get with Kedrick)
SF: Kedrick, Jones, EWill (Kedrick gets the first shot because Jones is
hurt... this lineup needs some athleticism... I expect Jones to be the guy
when he's healthy)
PF: Baker, Lafrentz, Battie, Hunter (I know, I know... after everything I've
said about Baker. Here's my thinking... The team needs a big guy it can go
to in the post. Baker is the best of a so-so crop right now. If he can
produce for half a season, dump him to the first team that shows interest.)
C: Lafrentz, Battie, Perkins, anyone-but-Blount, Blount (Lafrentz and Baker
are the best complement at the 4/5 spots... Blount, of course, will see more
time than Perkins, but I'd force-feed Perkins a few minutes to keep him
interested... The Battie rumors make some sense, when you start to look at
this roster and consider how much Obie loves Blount)

Another long post. Looking forward to the first glimpse of the new guys
tonight.

Mark